Simple Phones for the Ederly: AT&T Z221 GoPhone

Let focus on a simple cell phone on the second post for 2012. This time we will look at another basic mobile phone from AT&T's prepaid phones line-up.

The GoPhone portfolio has been a steady source senior-friendly mobile phones. But that's not surprising since the line-up is made up of prepaid phones with simple features. You wont find any fancy expensive smartphones in this group. For this post we will look at the AT&T Z221 GoPhone, a handset that is made by ZTE. We will look at the features that make it a suitable device for seniors.

Let's begin with the design. One look at this handset will tell you that is a basic clamshell phone. There are no part that slide from beneath its body. You simply open it up tp to make calls or send messages. Here are some images that provide views to the different angles of its body. Take a good look.

It's easy to see how this device fits the needs of seniors. It's uncomplicated, direct to the point, and easy-to-use.

Let's break down the details for its design. The outer display is small but it shows important information such as the time, battery, and signal strength without the need of opening the handset. The internal QVGA display measures 2 inches with 320x240 pixels and is pretty much standard for a cell phone for seniors.

The keyboard comes with large buttons but they are a bit flushed. They are separated but not as much as we would like. The numbers are large so folks would have no problem with dialing numbers. Dialing by feel though is not very easy.

Now what are the senior friendly features offered by the AT&T Z221 GoPhone? Well, it's a hearing aid compatible (M3/T4) phone, which makes it usable for seniors with hearing difficulties. This phone also comes with the carrier's pay-as-you-go service so users will not need to worry about contracts, credit checks, or deposits. It's a flexible plan that is cheap.

But this phone actually comes with some decent features despite being such a simple mobile device. For instance, it offers a basic camera that can record video. It also ships with Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1), 3G, e-mail, and access to social networking sites. Now, these are not essential features for seniors but its nice to have them on your affordable phone.

The AT&T Z221 GoPhone is being offered for $39.99 without a contract so it's within reach of senior users.

That's it for this cello phone for senior citizens. Stay tuned as we feature more phones every week.

The Easy-to-use Nokia 2320 GoPhone

You don't have to be a genius to know that a cell phone that comes with minimal features and a user-friendly design is a good fit for senior users. Well, in this post we will feature an easy-to-use cell phone that can fit the requirements of senior citizens.

The Nokia 2320 GoPhone may not look impressive but can turn out to be a gem of a device for folks who are aged 65 years and older. Even if it doesn't offer impressive features it can still function as a phone for the elderly.

Let describe some of the points that make the Nokia 2320 GoPhone a good cell phone for senior citizens.

Let's start with the design. This mobile phone sports a basic bar style design, which is pretty much as simple as you can get when it comes to mobile phones. There's no need to flip or slide. The phone is ready to use without pushing any buttons or doing any other physical actions.

The phone's body is made of plastic but that's a price to pay for an affordable handset. The design includes a 1.75-inch display that supports 65,000 colors and 160x128 pixels. It's not very impressive but it has bright colors and is visible even in daylight. The standby font color and font size are adjustable, which is a good thing for users with weak eyes such as the elderly.

The key pad is also simple with flat buttons. Fortunately, the spacious arrangement makes them easy to use. Texting quickly will result in mistakes but seniors are not prone to hurrying so it's not a big issue.

This basic, affordable phone also offers solid call quality. Users of this phone can expect voices to sound natural and strong volume. However, the Nokia 2320 GoPhone's speakerphone is a disappointment as the calls were garbled, and voices were distorted.

Overall, the 2320 is a solid mobile phone for seniors. It's user-friendly design and simple features are suitable to the needs of the elderly. AT&T is no longer selling this phone but interested consumers can get it from other online retailers such as Bestbuy and Walmart.

That's it for this post. Visit this blog often for more information on cell phones for seniors and related topics.